John Scimone's legacy remains strong in Lakeland Runners Club

By Rob Mason Ledger correspondent

Monday

Dec 4, 2017 at 5:56 PMDec 4, 2017 at 5:56 PM

The beginnings of the Lakeland Runners’ Club is likely unknown to many of its reported 730 or so members, particularly the younger ones. But the presence of Ann Scimone, widower of the founder, at the club’s Christmas party last Saturday reminded older runners of who started the club. And the history of John Francisco Scimone is one that should be shared.

Naturally, one would assume that running was a part of his life. And that was true in his prep years in Cambridge, Mass., where he was captain of his cross country team in 1952. And he ran a 4:52 mile, making him the fastest miler in his school.

“He didn’t run again until 1966, when we moved from Mobile, Alabama, to Florida,” Ann said. “We lived by Dobbins Park, and he did his running there.”

He was employed by the post office, so walking was a big part of his day. His dad, Chico, is nearly a legend in Taormina, Sicily, having run the Boston Marathon numerous times, race walked frequently, competed in triathalons and raced up the Empire State Building for many years, right up to his death in 2005 at the age of 93.

Following in his dad’s footsteps, John took up race walking. It was a good tie-in to his mail delivery work. And his passion for it soon evolved into a desire to encourage others to get involved, so they could experience the benefits of the exercise.

In 1974, he measured a course and helped the Lakeland Parks and Recreation Department put on the Civic Center Runs. Those races started and finished in the parking lot south of the Lakeland Civic Center. The distances were 2.5 and 5 miles and traveled around Lake Hunter. Scimone always race walked in those races.

That race was what started thoughts about having a Lakeland Runners’ Club. Harold Walker, who ran the Athletic Attic store in the old Lakeland Mall on Memorial Blvd., and Scimone, had discussed starting a running/race walking club. Soon thereafter, the club was begun.

Beyond the Civic Center Runs, Scimone laid out numerous other races, including the Lake Parker 20K, the Saddle Creek Park 4 mile, the Joker Marchant Stadium 4 miler (which became the Flag Day 4 miler and is now the Tiger Trot 5K), the Denison Stadium 1-hour run, the Lakeland Senior High 10K, and the Lake to Lake 10K.

The Civic Center Runs went away after the 1987 edition. But the Lake to Lake 10K, begun through the efforts of Scimone, Walker, and Beverly Hill with the United Way, just held its 41st edition in on Nov. 4, the oldest race in the county.

Races back then were timed with a stop watch and tongue depressors. The times were hand written on a numbered sheet and numbered tongue depressors were handed out to each finisher. When electronic timing was in its infancy, this manual timing was used as a back up and it saved the day at some races.

In August of 1975, Scimone’s race walking acumen qualified him to compete in the 25K walk at the first World Championships in Toronto, Canada. He finished that race in 2:43:53 and was 15th overall.

With the popularity of running growing, others in Scimone’s life took note. Father Hugh Duffy and Tom Joyce had played football (soccer) in Ireland. They got Scimone interested in the sport and together they started the Lakeland Youth Soccer League in the early 70s. Scimone serve on the board, coached the Celtics youth soccer team, and was the coach for both John Thomas and Julie Ann Scimone, his son and daughter, when they played in the league.

In October 1978, he was told that he had terminal colon cancer. He died December 11, 1978, at the age of 44.

The legacy Scimone has left this city is evident in the very active runners club and youth soccer league. But the living legacy in running is his son. Sadly, Scimone senior never witnessed his son’s growing enthusiasm for running.

Since beginning six years ago, Scimone the younger has lost weight and become and contender in his age group. Last Saturday, in the Run for the Poinsettias, he placed first in his 50 to 54 grouping and finished in a respectable 26:31, over the tough Holloway Park cross country course.

“John would have been so thrilled to see the growth of the runners club and the way they’re involved in so many worthwhile projects to help the community,” Ann said. “He would also have loved to see how soccer has become so popular in Lakeland and all the thousands of children who are enjoying the game.”

Having known the father and knowing the son, I’m sure the father would have loved seeing his son so involved in running and the runners club. It’s a wonderful testament to a life well spent that ended far too soon.

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